Electric connecter



Dec. 22, 1931. J. o. CADIEUX 1,838,051

' ELECTRIC CONNECTER Filed Sept. 29, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 alto: nu

Dec. 22, 1931. o c D 1,838,051

ELECTRIC CONNECTER Filed Sept. 29, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Jose 9% 0. C dzezw,

Patented Dec. 22, 1931.

UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE JOSEPH O. CADIEUX, OF MERIOEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGN'OR TO CONNECTICUT TELE- PHONE & ELECTRIC CORPORATION, OF EERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE I ELECTRIC CONNECTER Application filed September 29, 1930. Serial No. 485,100.

My invention relates particularly to terminal clips for securing electrical conductors to spark plugs. p

Spark plugs such as are commonly in use,

particularly on airplanes, are made in two sizes and it is the main object of my invention to provide a clip which is adapted to be securely attached to either of two sizes of such plugs. I have particularly sought to provide a construction which may be locked in place to avoidany possibility of accidental detachment.

Another object is to provide a clip and latch which can be'used in the same shield on either the short or long type of spark plug. In carrying out the invention the clip is provided with 'a pair of spring jaws which are adapted to engage the opposite sides of a bulbous terminal. he clip and cable can be rotated on the axis of the end of the cable to adapt it to. connection with either type of terminal. One form of clip is also provided lease the gripping members when moved to with a'pair of spaced fingers adapted to fit in thegroove of a terminal. A latch is hinged to the clip and adapted to reinforce the gripping members when in one position and to reanother position. I The invention is ca able of embodiment in a number of different orms' some of which are shown in the accompanying drawings.

Fig. .1 is a side view showing the clip attached to a bulbous terminal of a spark plug 5 and showing in dotted lines a smaller plug.

Fig. i is a sectional view showing the clip attached to ,a bulbous terminal.

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the clip mounted in the groove oia terminal.

Fig. 6 shows a modified form of construcsides of the bulbous terminal tip.

tion inwhich the joints of the clip engage in the oove of a terminal.

Fig. is a plan view partly in section of the larger type of plug tip.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view of a shield showing a small sized spark plug tip with the cable and clip connected and showing the latch released in dotted lines.

Fig. 12 is a similar view of the clip and, cable attached to a large sized tip.

Fig. 13 is a sectional view on the the line 13-13 of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a plan view of the clip and latch.

Fig. 15 is a sectional view of a clip and plane of latch on a terminal, both the'jaws and latch being perforated to provide a better grip and leave discharge openings for dirt, etc.

The smaller type of spark plug terminal tip is usually provided with a semi-spherical or bulbous portion 11 and grooved portion 12 and the larger type of plug is provided with a spherical or bulbous portion 14.

In one preferred form the clip is formed of sheet metal such as phosphor bronze and i has a base portion 15 with side arms or jaws 16 which are provided with recesses or perforations 17 adapted to receive theopposite The clip is also provided with a pair of spring jaws or fingers 18 which are spaced apart from each other and provided with seats- ,19 adapted to engagein the/groove of a spark plug tip. It will thus been seen that the clip is adaptedto be attached either to a bulbous terminal or to a groovedterminal. a

To reinforce the spring fingers 18, the arms or jaws 16 may be provided with extensions 20 which overlap the edges of the fingers 18. The clip is secured to the end of the cable or conductor in any suitable maner as for instance by means of an insulating collar 21.

In order to prevent the clip from being accidentally detached I provide a latch member having side arms 22 and a cross bar or finger piece 23.

This latch is hinged to the side arms 16 of the clip, preferably by means of rivets 24, and is provided with recessed portions 25 which are adapted to snap over the recessed or bossed portions 17 of the clip and thus reinforce and stifl'en the clip so that when the latch is in place as shown in Fig. 1 the jaws are held tightly to the plug tip. When the latch is swung away from the position of Fig. 1, the side arms or jaws 16 are relieved of the pressure so that the clip can be readily detached. It will be noted that the compression of the latch due to the bosses 17 also reinforces the fingers 18 through the jaw extensions 20.

It is desirable that such a clip be adapted to be used with shields such as 26 which are frequently employed on spark plugs particularly in airplane work. The parts of the clip are therefore designed so that the center line 27 of Fig. 1 corresponds with the relative position of the center of the bulbous terminal 14 of the large sized plug and the distance from this center line to the plane of the jaws 18 is such that the clip will also fit a small sized plug where the plane 27' of the groove is as shown in Fig. 1. In other words the same clip can be used in a given shield with either size of spark plug by simply turning the clip over 180 on the axis of the conductor. The sleeve 28 is adapted to be screwed on to the collar 21 to hold the cable end in the opening 29 in the shield.

In the form shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the base 30 of the clip has the j awsor side arms 31 with recessed bosses or perforations 32 for engaging a bulbous terminal. These same jaws have extensions 33 which are adapted to engage in the groove 12 of a small size terminal. The latch member 34 is hinged at 35 to the side arms or jaws 31 and is provided with recessed, perforated or bossed portions 36 adapted to engage the flanged or bossed portions of the jaws 31. It will thus be seen that this type of clip is adapted to either the large or small size spark plug terminal and is locked in position by the latch. g

In the form shown in Fig. 8, the base of the clip40 has side arms or jaws 41 with recessed portions 42 for engaging a bulbous terminal. Jaws 43 are also provided for engaging in the groove 12 of a terminal. The latch 44 is hinged at 45 and provided with an annular flange or recessed portion 46 for engaging the jaws 41. The latch is also provided with extension lugs 47 on opposite sides for engaging the sides of the jaws 48 to reinforce tiliem and hold them in position as shown in In the form shown in Figs. 9 and 10 the base 50 of the clip .is provided with jaw members or arms 51 which are offset from the axis of the conductor. These jaws are provided with recessed portions 52 for engaging a bulbous terminal. The latch 53 is hinged at 54 and provided with a recessed portion 55 for engaging a flanged or bossed portion 52 and locking the clip in place. By having the center of the bossed portion 52 offset from the center of the conductor, it will be seen that the clip can be applied in the same shield to either a high or low plug and that the latch will reinforce the jaws in both cases.

In the form shown in Figs. 11 to 14 the clip has a base with j aws'6l extending at an angle to the axis of the cable such that it can be rotated to fit either a small type tip 11 or the larger type 14 Within the same shield 26. The latch 62 has arms hinged on the rivets 63. The jaws 61 have recesses 64 (Fig. 13) or holes 64' (Fig. 15) and are designed to loosely engage the small sized tip 11.

The latch herein is designed so that its side arms may tightly engage and hold the jaws when the recesses 65 engage the bosses on the sides of the arm (Fig. 13). The latch has its handle 66 bent inwardly somewhat to facilitate its engagement and the hinge units are located between the locking bosses and the base 60. i

This form of clip can be used in the same shieldwhether the spark plug tip is of the small or larger size by simply loosening the sleeve 29 and rotating the end of the cable and its clip.

I claim:

1. A spark plug connecter comprising a cable end, a clip secured thereto and having spring side arms extending at an acute angle to the axisof the cable end and adapted to be rotated with the cable end to engage either of two different types of plug tips and a latch' hinged to the clip and adapted to engage and lock the clip in place in .either of two positions.

2. A spark plug, shield and terminal including a clip having a grip portion adapted to be positioned in the shield and'rotatable with respect thereto, said clip having. spring jaws for engaging either of two sizes of tips and a latch hinged to the clip for holding the jaws in place on either size of tip.

3. A terminal connecter comprising a clip having two sets of jaws for attachment to different types of spark plug tips and a latch coactlng with the jaws for holding the clip in place.

4. A spark plug terminal clip of spring jaws with recesses or engaging a having a pair bulbous terminal and a pair of spring jaws for engaging in the groove of a terminal and a latch member hinged to the clip for engaging at least one of the pairs of jaws.

5. A terminal connecter for plugs of different kinds comprising a base, spring arms carried thereby having recesses to receive a bulbous terminal, spring fingers carried by said base and adapted to engage-in a groove of a terminal and a movable latch coacting with some of said parts to hold the connecter in place on either kind of terminal.

JOSEPH O. OADIEUX. 

